I dig Seth Godin and always look forward to his blog, but yesterday his post made me wince. Noting that Newsweek has put itself up for sale (!), Godin writes that ”The problem is that [Time/Newsweek] are both slow and general. The world, on the other hand, is fast and specific.” Well, I think there is still plenty of room for slow and steady – especially when marketers consider Baby Boomers and beyond.
I’m not saying Boomers themselves are slow. Baby Boomers and seniors live in Godin’s fast and specific world. (In fact, Godin is a boomer himself.) This cohort was adopting new technology at early ages during the rapid spread of television in the late 50s/early 60s. Seth’s Blog is delivered to me via email, which was itself invented by a Boomer.
The nation’s 46-64 year olds are still at the forefront of technology adoption. As we’ve noted on this blog, they’re actively involved in social networking and are willing to invest in items that help them continue to enjoy their quality of living.
That said, I believe most members of the Baby Boom and Silent Generation would agree that a fast-paced world does not mean everything in it has to be at the speed of a texting pre-teen.
Seth asked if anyone read general news magazines like Newsweek anymore. While it’s true circulation is declining, there are still many loyal readers. The majority of news magazine readers are older and wealthierthan readers of subject-specific mag. The typical Newsweek reader is 46.8 years old (a younger Boomer). Chuck Nyren has described magazines as a “warm and nourishing” place to fly away from the chaos of our days.
Why? The world may be specific but studies show that as we age we look at things in context, we look for opportunities to stretch ourselves and our imaginations. It’s one of the reasons why retirement communities affiliated with universities are so popular. Lifelong learning is general.
Each week, I watch (or Tivo) the CBS News Sunday Morning program. Long form stories are the norm. I’m frequently exposed to topics I’d never thought of – like that guy who creates art out of bugs, or the explorer who found the lost city of Z in the Amazon. 
4.73 million people watch Sunday Morning with me each week. Entertainment Weekly recently put the show on its must list.
It’s a welcome break from the fast and specific. And sorry to disagree, Seth, but I think that in our fast world, slow and general will definitely have its place.
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